How Bad is the Flooding in Houston?

Brian Wright

The city of Houston has been rocked by major flooding that hit the area last weekend. At least five people have been killed and over 1,000 homes have been turned into swamp ground.

According to USA Today, four of the deaths were caused by people driving cars into flooded roads. The 8.8 trillion tons of water has already caused $5 billion in damages. Governor Greg Abbott has declared Houston and the nine surrounding counties a state of disaster.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, is asking residents with shuttles to return to their home and pick up belongings that are salvageable. As of Tuesday, at least 6,500 people are still without power. This number is down from a peak of 123,000. Drivers were forced to abandon 2,500 cars.

“Pavement, to me, is the problem,” Brody said. “Pavement is impermeable—it does not absorb water. When rain falls, or when ocean waves drive seawater onto land during intense storms, the water simply collects at the surface.”

So, when it rains in the forest, the water can trickle down in the Earth, like a drain. On top of concrete however, the water can’t go anyway, so it just sits on top of the pavement. What’s worse is when the wind picks up, the water will move, but roads and sidewalks cover cities, causing more damage. Water quality is also affected because the sediment in the water is carried to wherever the water is dumped. Learn more by clicking this link.